A team of selfless police officers who clung onto a suicidal man for 30 minutes who looked certain to plunge from a railway bridge in Ironville have been honoured for their bravery.

As they talked to the 33-year-old man, who was sitting on the wrong side of a safety barrier on the bridge in the town’s Station Road, alcohol and pills he had taken took effect and he fell forward.

Luckily Sgt Neil Glover – along with PC Drew Bellamy, PC Louisa Briscoe, Special Constable Sophie Wallace and PC Maya Limbani from the British Transport Police – were literally on hand to grab hold of the man on June 25.

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Two of the officers were close enough to grab hold of him over the top of the security barrier as he toppled forward and prevent him from falling on to the railway line below.

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Sergeant Glover, who was with the man on the outside of the barrier, then put his arm across the man’s chest pinning him against the fence.

The other two remaining officers also got involved and the five of them had to precariously cling to the man for 30 minutes until fire and rescue services arrived to get him off the bridge safely.

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Following the incident, the team has been given a Royal Humane Society Award for their actions at a special police awards night on Tuesday, June 12.

Commending on their heroic actions, a Royal Humane Society spokesperson said: “Police had been alerted by the man’s father who had told them that his son was missing and suicidal. When they found him on the bridge they closed the road and arranged for trains to be stopped.

“Sergeant Glover climbed on to the outer part of the bridge to talk to the man. Conversation became difficult as the tablets started having an effect, and then the man fell forward. At that point, PCs Briscoe and Limbani reached over the top of the security fence and grabbed the man by the shirt.

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“Sergeant Glover was still on the outside of the wall, and put his arm across the man’s chest, pinning him against the fence. In the end all five of them were clinging to him for some 30 minutes. All five officers richly deserve the awards they are to receive.

A spokesperson for the society added: “This was a superb example of team work and as a result a life was saved.